← You Can! Inspiring Women In Business
You Can! Inspiring Women In Business
The Real Currency Of Business: The Power of Testimonials & Reviews
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Foreign hello and welcome to the UCAM podcast. I'm your host, Sarah Jolly Jarvis, and today we're talking around why testimonials and reviews are the real currency within your business. The thing is, here is, wow, that's like, that's a bit of a claim, you know, like really, you know, to keep the lights on. You need revenue. Yes, you do. But what actually can drive that revenue? What can help people feel confident in making that decision to work with you? That can be your testimonials. You can't buy them. They're the things that are genuine. Well, as long as you don't make them up, that's a totally different story. And I 100% advise you not to do that. But, you know, they are your proof that what you are saying actually you can deliver on. And those testimonials, you know, the more like clients now come to me and I'm like, google reviews. Get your feedback. Get that feedback onto platforms which is easily accessible for potential clients. People want to do their due diligence. They want to feel confident that they're making the right decision. And I do not blame them. There are so many claims going around on the Internet, particularly with online businesses. The claims that they're making, particularly within that sort of coaching world, are so unsubstantiated and so extreme that, you know, it makes a lot more sense to make sure that every scrap of evidence you've got that actually you can deliver on what you're saying is there for them to, to take note of and to feel reassured by. So, you know, whenever somebody is working with me, whenever they start off working with me, we look at what resources they already have. And one of those key things is always testimonials. Have you got proof that what you want to sell you can actually deliver on, you can actually provide if they don't? And if that's what you're thinking, then we're going to go into that in a little bit more detail in a minute. But if you don't have that evidence, all is not lost. There are ways to get them. That generally means working with people in return for testimonials, but not always. But as I say, we'll come on to that in a minute. So I'm going to share with you how to get those testimonials, whether you have had clients or not, what to ask, where to store them and how to use them effectively. Because I bet you a lot of you are going, you know what? I have testimonials. I don't really know how to use them, where to use them. And so we're going to be sharing all that in today's episode. So why do they matter? They are social proof. If I already talked around, they are, they're proof that you are able to deliver on what you're promising. It helps people trust you. Okay. Beyond that, I believe that actually it can be a great way to access and to engage your audience. For example, you know, people always remember stories and so it's easier to provide information in story format. I have a client who is very high end considering what he does. And so people come to him, they're expecting him to be paid by the hour, ad hoc and instead he puts together packages which provide the outcome that they're looking for. And within that he provides them straight from the get go. As soon as he finds out what problem they're experiencing, he provides them with a case study, with evidence that this can happen. Now he does that for a number of reasons. He does that because it shows that person that gives them belief that actually this problem can be resolved. They've got long term problems and so, you know, how can they over time your belief that actually this can change, your circumstances can change, begins to waver. And so he gets them right up there with going, you know what, here's the evidence that actually you can go from where you are. Actually you can go from a position which is worse than what you are and you can be fully recovered. And so that sets that belief off, but it also means that that individual is able to relate to that story rather than feeling accused. So what I mean by that is when you put out social media posts, again I'll come onto this in a. I love just jumping ahead, don't I? But when, when you put out social media posts and you share with them that this individual went from this problem, they did this and they got this outcome, it's much, much better, it's more powerful. It gets rid of the, any emotion around that person feeling accused. You know, if you were to say hey you, I believe that you are this, this, this and this, you know, you're not confident, you're not at your best, they're probably likely to start feeling a little bit, a little, a little bit like they are being got at and so they're going to get defensive and with defensive they stop listening because they start getting offended. They're not taking on the information in a positive way. They're seeing it as a dig at them and you want to avoid that as much as possible. You don't want to be calling out your clients. You don't want to make them feel bad. You want to give them hope. And that is what you can do with testimonials. You can be that ray of sunshine on that bleak outlook you've also got. It's a conversation starter. It's a point of reference. I talk about my ideal client, Jenny, a lot. She isn't a testimonial, but she is an example of a situation that people are in when they come to me. My ideal client is Jenny because I talk about ideal clients a lot. My ideal client's Jenny and this is the scenario she's been in and the amount of people who go, oh, you know what, I'm just, I'm basically Jenny. And so being able to, for people to relate to that, it starts that conversation. I know when they say that exactly the situation they are in. There are also SEO benefits to testimonials because, you know, Google, Google my business trustpilot, they help your business appear in searches. If you are feeding that Google my business, if you are feeding your Google profile, then obviously you're going to get more hit. You're going to appear higher up when people search on those search terms which are relevant to your business. So well, well worth it. The other thing is, is testimonials are essential if you are in it for the long term, okay, because they will deliver for you time and time again. Now I do meet people, sadly who they are in it to make as much money in a short period of time, deliver as little as possible and then make a run for it to another little lucrative pool which they will do the same thing in. I don't like working with those people. I don't work with those people, but they do exist. And if you are in a position where you're not wanting, you just want to making a quick buck, then you know, testimonials, they're not going to be reaping the benefit. They could be. Your testimonials are there. They are your foundations. They are the bricks that you can keep drawing upon and pointing to time and time again. They are an amazing way to engage your audience and something that you know, you don't overlook, particularly if you are building, hopefully you are building for the long term and you're wanting to stick around in this space. Building up that testimonial bank is, is priceless. So when do you start collecting testimonials? Because I've had people say to me, well, you know, I'm not quite finished my Offer isn't quite right, or I haven't got testimonials for this offer, but I've got testimonials for other things and I will come on to that in a moment. The time to start is now. Okay? If you don't have any, then don't beat yourself up about it. Do think, though, if you don't have any right now, but you've had clients, you've had good experiences, think about who you could just, you know, get in contact with again and ask for a testimonial. Now, people don't like to do video testimonials, okay? And actually, when that people are doing testimonials in general, they're a bit like, oh, what do I say? What don't I say? How do I put this? And so providing them with a bit of a framework, a bit of guidance is. Is a great way of helping them to know what to put and to create a testimonial that is going to do your business justice and really get the result. I've had it time and time again with clients where they've gone away. They haven't used the format that I've suggested because they haven't had the resource with them or something else has happened. And so they've kind of just let that client go off and do their own thing, and it hasn't hit home, hasn't been as good as it could have been from that client. They're like, this person did amazing. They did this, this, this and this. And none of that was included testimonial. If you find that if you have that challenge, the best thing you can do is go back to that person, say, hey, you know, would you mind if I put this in for you? Or would you mind if you included that and either do it for them and get them to approve it, or ask them to add that in, and then you can always have a conversation. You can think, oh, gosh, I don't want to be pushy. Okay, you don't, but this is a really, really vital bit of resource for you. I'm just saying to them, you know, I don't want to be pedantic. It's just that, you know, it's really. I was really pleased with the work that we'd done together. It really helps my business to have testimonials from people like yourselves and provide the context. And I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help. When is the right moment to ask? So if you. Assuming that you're not backdating and going back to people that you finished working with, a really good time is when a client has just had a big win. Okay, so you're on a call with them and they're going, yeah, I've done really well. I've been really pleased with this. They're buzzing, they've got that positive energy that's going to come across in any video and in any testimonial that they do. What I would do, what I tend to do is, because I have calls with clients over zoom is it's being recorded anyway, is to be like, hey, would you mind if I stopped the recording, restarted it? Because that's cleaner for me and we can go through and I can record a quick testimonial from you. It doesn't matter if you think, oh, gosh, but I'm only on week three with this person. You know, I've got another eight weeks, so what I should really do is wait till the end. The problem is, is that the biggest change happens in the first few weeks. You are a new thing. You are creating change qu quickly. So the effect is quite. There's quite a steep learning curve to start off with. And then people tend to plateau a bit because they've picked up that information, they've learned that information, and then it's consistency, it's the consistency of implementing it, particularly in my case. So the problem is then is that person's got into kind of consistent mode. It's not so exciting. You know, even the big wins, multiple big wins later, it's become a bit of a new normal and they're hungry for more. And so even if at week two or three they get a big win and you take a testimonial from them, you can go and get a testimonial from them later on. You get them on week five or eight or whatever week it is that you're working with them, and you could get, you know, a testimonial two years down the line from them. It doesn't matter. People don't really mind and there's not a limit on it. There's not, you know, a socially acceptable number. I probably wouldn't do it weekly, but if there's been a massive win, I'd be like, oh, gosh, would you mind? And just have that open dialogue with them. So you can also ask if they are sharing a positive message with you privately. I tend to make it very clear. It's in my T's and C's that I will use what people send as messages. I can use in marketing, what I do though is anything personal, I remove it. I also, if I want to keep that person's name in, I'll check. Do you want this done anonymous, anonymously, or would you like me to? Or is it okay to keep your name in? So that, that is how I kind of navigate that. But if you have it in your T's and C's to start with, obviously if there's anything personal in there which could clearly identify them, I would always check. If you haven't had clients yet, then that's when you can offer free or low cost trials, depending on where you are, depending on where your audience. I was speaking to somebody earlier today and she was saying, I'm not even actively promoting my mentoring. People are still coming, which is lovely. And so I was having a conversation with this lady today and she has a massive audience already. It's just about monetizing them. And so I wouldn't go out there for her with a free offer. She's done stuff for free before. It needs to be kind of setting out her store and creating that awareness that you need to pay me guys for the value that I'm providing. You can also, if you haven't had clients yet, you can speak to past colleagues, mentors, people you've helped on an informal basis which kind of led you to doing what you're, what you do now. And you can ask them for, for feedback, you can ask them for testimonials. And that's the thing really guys, is people get really hung up on, oh well, I haven't had anybody through this specific program, if that specific program is, you know, relevant directly relates to, for example, like my programs, I've done Sprint programs, I've done private client programs. I've got a startup program, I've got a course that one to one which helps you to set up courses and establish courses into your own business. I have those. If people approached me about those, then I would offer what was relevant to those individuals. I didn't have, for example, the, the courses course. I didn't have testimonials for that because it was new. I made people aware this is new. But I had testimonials on there with people saying how great my course was, how great it had been working with me one on one before because it's a course, it's a program which helps you to create courses. So therefore evidence that my courses are actually decent is helpful. And they've been working one to one with me. And so the testimonials on working One to one with me, cover that off as well. So, you know, she's good at creating courses and she's not weird and she's actually quite enjoyable to work with. Come over with those testimonials. And that's what you're trying to do with these testimonials is it's not specifically about that, that program that you're currently offering or the offer that you've got on that page. It's about you as a person, you as an individual, you providing those credentials. Now if I was to start marketing my skills, I'm a qualified riding instructor, horse riding instructor. If I started to use my client testimonials from my business mentoring for a landing page for my equine coaching, then I would absolutely feel that that would be wrong because that isn't about me in the same setting. It's not me on Zoom, it's me working with somebody with their horse. That's very, very different. And so if I needed testimonials, if I wanted testimonials, if I wanted to reignite that element of my, my skill set, then I would provide free sessions so that I would get testimonials that way. So as long as it's relevant, I don't think it's an ethical. If you don't feel comfortable with it, you can make it very clear. If you still don't feel comfortable with it, then don't use them. Go out there, get some free or low cost people trialing and then get their feedback in. So what are you going to ask them to say? Well, I have a free download for structuring testimonials. Those kind of, those key sort of testimonial questions that you want to be asking people. So in the show notes you can click a link and get those downloaded. So do click that link, do download those free of charge. The sort of thing you want to be looking for are and what is detailed in this download. Questions around the sort of circumstances prior to working with you, any hesitations they had before working with you, the change, the transformation that happened with by working with you, specific results they got, whether they'd recommend what they would say to somebody is always a good one and is one that's actually on the download is, you know, what would they say to somebody thinking who was kind of on the fence thinking about working with me. So you know, all those are available in that free download. Click the link in the, the show notes for that download for me and you can get that for free. Where do you store them? What do you do with these testimonies once you've got them? Well, you know, I've said about using them on social. You can obviously use them on websites, your social media posts, your email marketing in a kind of case study style. You can use it on Google, my business on trustpilot. You can use it for those, your landing pages, for your various courses or products or offers. Um, so, you know, having those testimonials and also checkout pages, guys. So not just the landing pages, but also if you're just sending them to checkout, I'd have a brief bit of information on what they're going to get with that, that in the. On the checkout page. And then I would have testimonials, at least one or two testimonials on there. As far as storage is concerned, long term, I actually have a screenshots. Well, I have a folder in my. I'm all Apple. So in my photo section on my phone, which is like business brag. And in there are all my screenshots from things that people have sent me. Um, I will normally I'll put them out almost straight away onto or, or even, yeah, almost all actually straight away onto my stories. And then I will also save them in there. Then they can be used by the team for all sorts of different reference points. Um, Google Drive is what we use. You can obviously use Notion or you can use notes or whatever else, Reva Notes to store them. We use Google, so we have different Google Drive sections and I keep them in a brag section. I tend to have them just in there and then I'll potentially date them. I'll potentially put them by offer, but I tend to just have them in there now because I've found that otherwise you're rooting around way too much. So, you know, how often should you be using them? I would say that one in every sort of three to four posts should have something in their social proof. Making reference, telling stories. If you're thinking how much, how often, then what you can do is you can look to use them. You use them as snippets. You can reference the person's full name, you can reference, you know, initials so that you can feel like you're not just having to put out the exact same testimonial. There's ways to switch it up while still feeling like, you know, you're using your integrity. If you're using a combination of formal testimonials plus screenshots, then actually you'll surprise yourself with how often and you know, Even with a sort of handful of clients, you can get some decent evidence and resources to use on a regular basis. The thing is, is it's consistency with testimonials, like everything, not sexy, but really effective. So keep collecting, keep updating them. We can all get out of the habit, so don't beat yourself up. You can always go back to a client and say, hi, would you mind? If you haven't started yet, then set yourself a goal. Collect your first three testimonials this week. Okay? Do something. Take action to get yourself into that better place. If you haven't got anybody yet, then reach out to three or four people and see if they'll do something with you in return for a testimonial. So once again, if you want that testimonial question guide, then click that link in the podcast description. And as ever, thank you for listening. And please do support this podcast by going and reviewing and following and subscribing and encouraging others to do the same. That would be really appreciated. So that's it for me this week, guys. In the meantime, have a great rest of your week and I will speak to you again next week. Bye for now.